Gr 4 Up—Spicer Rice takes readers on a captivating journey through the best and worst of microbes that live in
homes, yards, food, and people. Entertaining, often amusing, and sometimes disgusting, this work is a superb
choice for research or leisure. A thorough bibliography is also included

Microbes are everywhere -- on virtually every surface and inside of every creature. Before you get too skeeved out by that fact, Dr. Spicer Rice is here to tell you about how microbes can actually be huge allies in many cases.

This is a great book for upper elementary school- and middle school-aged children. That target audience particularly loves "gross" stuff and bodily functions. This book is written with a very humorous, colloquial style so kids can learn that science doesn't have to be boring. The silly illustrations also help with that.

As Dr. Spicer Rice is an entomologist, many of the various microbial functions talked about in this book deal in one way or another with insects. Other mammals are touched upon as well here and there though. I admit to learning quite a few new things, while other parts I knew at least a little bit about previously (for instance, how cows have four stomachs to digest their food). I'm not sure just how useful most of this knowledge is to everyday life but it's certainly neat to learn more about the biological world around us.

The final chapters are about microbes and humans but they are very brief, with few details. Again, I assume this arises out of insects being the author's specialty and not humans. For the most part, there's just a mention of how microbes live in different parts of the body, including skin, stomach, ears, toes, etc., but not a whole lot about what they do there or any specific microbe names, such as those listed in other parts of the book. This was a little disappointing because this is what interests me the most about microbes and where I was looking forward to learning more.

However, the book does end with recommendations for further reading and source studies for the information contained within its pages, so there's plenty of opportunity for curious readers to learn more.

Overall, this is an engaging, entertaining, and informative book that will appeal to those who want to know more about how the world works, particularly from a biological standpoint. ( )

This is a terrific book that will education while thoroughly entertaining the readers. Funny aspects of the scientific unseen microbe world are told in a language kids can understand and that will capture their interest and imagination. The portions I read were fun to read and I would have loved to have this book when my own children were growing up.

I think this is a great addition to kid's home libraries and public and school libraries everywhere.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. ( )

Excerpt from a longer article:

Synergy: Exploring Health

HEALTH describes a person’s physical, mental, and social well-being. A person in good health is free from disease or injury.

To understand a concept, it’s useful to read a cluster of books related to a theme. Explore these recently published books for young people:

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UNSEEN JUNGLE: THE MICROBES THAT SECRETLY CONTROL OUR WORLD written by Eleanor Spicer Rice and illustrated by Rob Wilson explores the science of microbes. Part of the Your Hidden Life series, this fact-filled, humorous work of nonfiction examines the fascinating microscopic world of these tiny organisms and impact your health and the life of other creatures. Chapters include microbes in the house, yard, food, and you! ARC courtesy of MIT Kids Press, an imprint of Candlewick Press. ( )